This invention relates to a rotating assembly for material handling equipment and, more particularly, to such rotating assemblies as chain sprockets, conveyor traction wheels and the similar parts on bucket elevators and other material handling wheels and sprockets. Such rotating assemblies encounter tremendous forces, particularly in the larger sizes, and therefore encounter rapid wear -- necessitating replacement. Over the years, for the purposes of economy, users of such equipment have gone to cast parts for the assemblies so that replacement of the wearable element, for example, the sprocket tooth ring, can be achieved fairly expeditiously. This has resulted in tremendous forces being exerted against the means coupling the peripheral member, i.e., the sprocket ring, to the hub member. Very often the connecting means, viz., the nut and bolt assemblies have failed prematurely because of the tremendous bending stresses they encounter. These stresses frequently arise because of the inaccuracies of the casting process wherein the openings in the members to be connected are not perfectly aligned in an axial direction.
I have found that this problem with the connecting means can be substantially minimized through the use of spherical zonal bearing surfaces whereby the bolt or other means connecting the members is adapted to assume a non-axial disposition while still remaining essentially under tension. A number of other advantages flow from the invention which may be appreciated from a consideration of the ensuing specification.